XY XX

WHAT LOVERS DO

Even if the man's family was in London, the usual loneliness that consumed him shrunk in the presence and warmth of Xenia and Sia.

"Gregory, can you pass me the jam, please?"

"Eh, here, "Gregory replied, his stare lingered on the woman's face. He realized how much he loved Xenia's oatmeal.

XY XX

"Niki, it's a catastrophe. Sia saw us in bed to-get-herrrrr," Xenia said, ending the sentence in a cat purr.

"Xenia, relax; Sia, knows adults have to sleep too."

"Not together, Niki, oh my goodness, it's the first time she sees something like this. Can you imagine the trauma? What if she talks about it in school or she tells my mom?"

"I thought you guys weren't talking?"

"We aren't, you know Ann-Catherine, her wrath is scorching. Even if Gloria's baby calmed things, I know it won't last."

"Okay, Xenia, did Sia say something?"

"No, she asked to pee."

"And?"Niki urged.

"We all had breakfast together before getting ready."

"Well, that's great, she's fine. Xenia, kids, understand things. I'm sure she already knows you are together. Don't sweat over it.

Xenia closed her eyes and pursed her lips before saying, "I wonder if she smelt it?"

"Smelt what?"

Xenia made a fish like expression as she wobbled her head from side to side, "you know when I was little I walked into my mother's room without knocking, the room smelled like the jungle, and I stepped on something slimy and slippery, which made me run back to my room. I thought a snake had shed its skin in my mom's bedroom. That was my first contact with a condom."

"Oh, my God, Xenia."

"Oh, gosh, I hope Sia didn't see things that way."

"No, I doubt it, Xenia; she would have expressed herself."

"I hope you are right," Xenia replied. It wasn't the only thing bugging her, but she didn't want to overload her friend, who was her agony aunt.

XY XX

After a lunch spent with her agony aunt, it was Gregory who occupied her mind. Xenia wanted to know more about his dreams, and luck was on her side as the man's brother in arms appeared before her.

"Jaila."

"Oh, Xenia, how have you been since yesterday? We sure meet up in this lift."

Xenia hesitated before replying, "yes, eh, I have a small question."

"Go on."

"Eh," Xenia looked about. There were quite a few people. "Can we have a quick coffee on the 18th?"

Jaila understood from Xenia's expression she wanted to say something which wasn't for all public.

"Okay, sure."

The two women got off on the 18th floor and went straight to the coffee machine. Xenia shivered, remembering Gregory's punishment after the constipated prick watergate.

"Jaila, you and Gregory were in the army together, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Did something happen to Gregory, some kind of trauma?"

Jaila raised an eyebrow, "why do you ask?"

"It's just, Gregory doesn't talk a lot."

Once again, Xenia hesitated. She didn't want the woman to know how close she was to the man, unaware it wasn't news for Jaila.

"You know Xenia war is traumatizing, just being in the zone can make one lose feet. You walk through a village, and you meet people you come back two hours later, and there's nothing left except bodies under exploded buildings. It leaves its marks. One can't escape it, even someone as strong as Gregory. He couldn't take it anymore," Jaila said, recalling a memory of a camp they bombarded, which was supposed to be a terrorist camp by the satellites and informers.

When their unit approached, all they saw were teenagers and little children. No one was left indifferent by the error.

"You know, Gregory would have quit the army with or without family circumstances. "

"How-I mean what can I -I mean if he needs help, what do you do?"

"Just be there. All he needs is someone there for him."

"And how about you, Jaila?"

"What, do you want to be there for me? You are welcome to pamper me anytime. Take care of him, Xenia," Jaila said as she fixed the collar of Xenia's shirt before kissing her on the cheek, "see you, Xenia."

Gregory took all the steps towards Xenia. He ripped away from the layers of deception, hurt, and hate, which kept the woman shackled. Never Xenia wondered if the taciturn man could be the broken one needing saving.

Suddenly Xenia wanted to see him; she sent him a message:

Where are you?

10th floor B3.

Xenia went to the 10th and walked to the B3 conference room, it was a room with blinds, but standing at the right angle, Xenia could see Gregory doing his presentation.

The man stopped speaking, leaving everyone in the room lingering on his words, and smiled. Did he see her? Wondered Xenia as she backed away.

Nevertheless, she was relieved and reassured to see him.

XY XX

It was after work that Xenia got her answer on whether he saw her behind the blinds.

"Are you stalking me now? I thought you wanted to keep it on the low at work," Gregory asked as the metro doors opened, and they stepped inside.

Xenia's eyes darted as she searched for an excuse, which she did not find, "no, I just wanted to see if you were okay?"

"Why were you worried?"

"No, I wasn't."

Lie.

The man was her day's only occupation, for the woman who saw Gregory as solid rock, imagining him vulnerable disturbed Xenia. She was in the zone, and she knew it would just a matter of time before her heart would be so gone.

"Good."

They got off at the Bercy Village after commuting at Châtelet and taking line 14.

"I'm going to pick up Sia. Do you want to come? I'm sure she'll be happy."

Gregory had a lot of work to do, but he wanted to tag along.

"Sure."

The image was one neither would have betted on a couple of months ago; their free hands slowly rubbed against each other until Xenia took a silent breath and slipped her hands into his. To her surprise, Gregory gripped it tightly, not caring about who they could eventually bump into in the area.

They were lovers. Isn't it reasonable to do what lovers do?